"We owe Nia far too much."
Han Ning took a deep breath, looking away for a moment before turning his attention back to the sky above.
His Spiritual Power was depleted, so he couldn’t use his Spiritual Surge Talent to empower Yin Yi and the others. All he could do was rely on tactics, commanding his Soul Beasts to the best of his ability to defeat their enemies.
Seeing that a slightly injured Yin Yi was still locked in a stalemate with the Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede, Han Ning used what little Spiritual Power he had left to send a telepathic command.
’All-Encompassing Spiritual Silkworm, help Egg Pancake enter a state of Demonization.’
According to the description of the Demonization Soul Technique, at its current level of power, the All-Encompassing Spiritual Silkworm could only use it once every few days at most.
But the situation was critical, and Han Ning couldn’t afford to worry about that. ’We can worry about everything else after we survive this.’
He believed Yin Yi was strong enough to defeat the Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede, but time was limited. They had to end the fight as quickly as possible to minimize casualties.
’Egg Pancake, ignore the Green Moth Tribe’s Insect Master for now! Help Yin Yi slay its opponent as quickly as possible!’
Besides Aketu, there was another Insect Master from the Green Moth Tribe on the battlefield. According to Aketu’s explanation, this Insect Master was his tribe’s Grand Elder and also his great-uncle.
The Insect Master from the Green Moth Tribe was commanding an exquisite moth that glowed with a jade-green light, looking as if it were carved from jade. It was struggling to fight another Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede.
Without him, the academy would have likely already fallen.
But given the current situation, they had to sacrifice one flank.
"GUH!"
Upon receiving Han Ning’s command, the All-Encompassing Spiritual Silkworm ignored its own weakness and once again erupted with surging waves of Dark Energy.
Under the dual empowerment of Blood Qi and Demonization, Egg Pancake’s body rapidly expanded.
Dense, hard muscle bulged from its draconic limbs, and strange black patterns crisscrossed its pair of broad Dragon Wings.
Wisps of pitch-black mist drifted out from between its crimson scales.
In an instant, Egg Pancake transformed from a Sub-dragon that controlled Fire and Earth into a Demon Dragon that looked as if it had emerged from the Abyss.
"ROAR!!"
Its body swelled to sixty meters tall as it reared up on its hind legs. Its massive wings spread wide, blotting out a large patch of the sky, before its thick hind legs stomped down hard on the ground!
BOOM!
The ground buckled under the tremendous force, a web of cracks spreading from the point of impact.
Egg Pancake became a red-and-black shadow, instantly appearing beside the Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede.
"SHREEEAR!"
A dark light flashed in Egg Pancake’s vertical pupils. Its Super Gravity Talent activated, and the Gravity Field around it changed abruptly.
A terrifying pressure instantly descended upon the Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede, causing it to falter as it gathered power for a Fiery Flame Soul Technique.
Seizing the opportunity, Egg Pancake spread its powerful forelimbs and viciously wrapped them around the Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede below.
The next second, countless arcs of dark light crackled to life around Egg Pancake, spreading over the Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede’s body.
Dark Seal!
Under the effects of Dark Seal, the fiery-red Spiritual Energy glowing from the Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede’s body dimmed slightly.
Yin Yi, who had been waiting for an opportunity, saw its chance. The flames in its eyes flared as it crossed its Cyan Light Twin Swords in front of its chest, rapidly gathering a cyan radiance.
BANG!
A thick beam of light shot out from where the swords crossed, accurately striking the immobilized Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede. The blast caved in its relatively fragile eyes and brain, blowing away a huge chunk of its armor and flesh.
However, the Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede was ultimately stronger than Egg Pancake. Even with the empowerment from the All-Encompassing Spiritual Silkworm, the gap between the Extraordinary and War General levels was not so easily bridged.
"KREEE! KREEE!"
But as the saying goes, a centipede takes a long time to die. Even after taking such a heavy blow from Yin Yi, the Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede could still move. It let out a furious roar, thrashing the flaming spikes on its body and plunging them viciously into Egg Pancake’s flesh.
The spikes were incredibly sharp, and in moments, dozens of holes the size of human heads pockmarked Egg Pancake’s body.
Furthermore, the surface temperature of the Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede began to rise rapidly, and the effects of Dark Seal on it gradually weakened.
"ROAR!!"
The excruciating pain also ignited Egg Pancake’s ferocity. It roared madly, not only refusing to loosen its grip but squeezing even harder.
"KREEE!"
The Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede let out a piercing shriek. In an instant, its body erupted in towering crimson flames that completely enveloped Egg Pancake.
At the same time, a conspicuous, blood-red flame—the Red Lotus Demon Fire—gushed from Egg Pancake’s body and mouth. The two behemoths held each other in a death grip, burning together in their clashing flames.
FWOOSH~
The surrounding temperature skyrocketed.
Waves of intense heat rolled outward in all directions.
Some of the weaker, cannon-fodder moths caught in the blast instantly burst into flame.
While the two behemoths battled with fire, Yin Yi was not idle. It pushed its Wood and Ice Type Spiritual Energy to the absolute limit, relentlessly firing beams of Cyan Wood Radiance at full power while simultaneously unleashing a barrage of Ice Crystal Bombs in an attempt to lower the Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede’s temperature.
The Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede’s master, the other Insect Master, could do little to help. Like the people on the ground, his Spiritual Power seemed to be completely drained, leaving him able to influence the battlefield only through his insect swarms and simple commands.
The stalemate lasted for nearly ten seconds. Egg Pancake, still grappling the centipede from behind, had its flesh burned away, gradually revealing the grim outline of its skeleton.
Meanwhile, under the relentless assault from Yin Yi and the Red Lotus Fire, the Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede finally began to break. Great gouts of crimson blood started pouring from its already heavily injured head.
Its hard Armor shattered piece by piece. Its Spiritual Energy output became unstable, and the flames it spewed began to flicker.
’Ice Crystal Bomb, extinguish its flames! Egg Pancake, pull back!’
Han Ning commanded telepathically, coughing hard.
"KREE!"
Its consciousness hazy, Egg Pancake shook its massive head and fell back on pure instinct.
A vast cloud of frigid white mist emanated from the frost-white flower on Yin Yi’s head, condensing into ice crystals of incredibly low temperature that bombarded the Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede.
BOOM! BANG!
The sound of Ice Crystal Bombs exploding was incessant.
Under the influence of the extreme cold, the flames on the Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede’s body were extinguished in large patches.
Soon, a hundred-meter radius around the Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede had been completely transformed into a frost-white domain.
At its very center stood a blue-and-white ice sculpture of the centipede.
’Cough, cough... Use what strength you have left! Go help Aketu and the others! Wipe out the remaining War General Level Soul Beast and the rest of the swarms, all the way down to the Extraordinary and Awakened Levels!’
Han Ning didn’t give his Soul Beasts a single moment to catch their breath.
"LIIING!!" "Kree..."
Yin Yi was still in relatively good condition. After receiving Han Ning’s command, it quickly flew to the Jade Moth’s side to help it fight.
In its clash of flames with the Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede, Egg Pancake had been overwhelmed by the latter’s superior Spiritual Energy, and much of its flesh had been incinerated. Fortunately, the All-Encompassing Spiritual Silkworm had been constantly replenishing its Blood Qi, which was the only thing that had saved it from death.
It was running on fumes now, staggering toward the other Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede and using the last of its strength to open its mouth.
WHOOSH!
The air for meters around rushed into its maw.
Then, a dragon’s breath of roiling red flames erupted forth, striking the Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede’s body squarely.
After unleashing that Soul Technique, Egg Pancake could no longer hold itself up. Its massive body crashed to the ground. Eyes half-lidded, it gasped for breath.
The All-Encompassing Spiritual Silkworm within its body had fallen directly into a state of dormancy.
Using Demonization twice in a row and releasing a massive amount of Blood Qi at such a high frequency had completely drained all of its Energy.
Two Extraordinary Level Soul Beasts, working together, had managed to hold off a War General Level III Soul Beast for more than ten seconds and even inflict significant damage. Han Ning was extremely satisfied with this result.
’You’ve done well, Egg Pancake, All-Encompassing Spiritual Silkworm. Rest now.’
Han Ning didn’t even have enough Spiritual Power to open his Soul Beast Space, so all he could do was let Egg Pancake and the others rest where they lay on the ground.
"Kree-ooo~"
Egg Pancake let out a weak whimper. Its large eyes reflected a scene of blood and fire, along with the three figures still locked in combat.
’I’m still too weak!’ it thought.